


Hearing the other words.

by Automartyr (Brynnen), Brynnen



Category: Cabin Pressure
Genre: Arthur is everyone's fairy godmother, Carolyn is a good mum, Comfort, Douglas suspects, Douglas swears in his head, Gen, Martin turns up for like five minutes, Past Relationship(s), Perspicacity, Psychic Arthur, Teddy bears of truth
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-24
Updated: 2017-05-24
Packaged: 2018-11-04 12:39:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,477
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10991112
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Brynnen/pseuds/Automartyr, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Brynnen/pseuds/Brynnen
Summary: Arthur's sort-of psychic, Herc is going on not-dates with Carolyn, Douglas is not happy.Fortunately Arthur likes helping his friends.





	1. Chapter 1

Arthur knew that an awful lot of the time people said very different things to what they meant. Sometimes people didn't quite know the true thing they wanted to say, sometimes it wasn't polite to say the true thing, or a lot of the time Arthur thought they were afraid to say the true thing out loud. That was sad, the way they cuddled the true thing to themselves like an invisible teddy bear. If no one could see the true thing then they thought it would be safe from hurt.

  
Arthur had always been able to hear the true thing buried in the not-quite-true things that people said instead, he'd been able to see the teddy - only sometimes it was a ragged dolly, or a tattered doggie or a bunny... The shape didn't really matter, the fact that it was there was the important thing. Sometimes the real hope was buried too deeply inside a person that Arthur couldn't hear the true thing even as a whisper, in those cases the teddy was firmly tucked in the crook of their arm, dressed or with an accessory that related to the thing they didn't dare think about. Those people's teddies were the realest looking, intricate and bristly-furred, the ones Arthur so wanted to touch and cuddle for himself.

  
When he'd got around to mentioning it to Mum, she'd explained that no, that wasn't something everything could do, or what would be the point of not saying the true things out loud? Mum couldn't do it, but she told him his Great Auntie Edith had been able to do something similar, she'd been able to hear people's thoughts, just as clearly as they'd been saying them with their mouths! That sounded brilliant! It had been their family secret, not even Dad had known and Mum had helped Arthur keep track of which words he was meant to reply to.

She'd told him about lipreaders - both the deaf people who could see what you said even when they couldn't hear you and the characters in spy stories and films. It was so exciting to learn how to do it, like he was a character in a James Bond film, and they'd practised together over and over again. It had helped to let him know which voice he was meant to be listening to and these days he mostly got it right, except for when he was thinking about other brilliant things like horses' noses or clouds or jelly babies.

  
Arthur liked Herc, he was fun to be around, with lots of funny stories like Douglas and he had a nice voice, just like Douglas. When Herc talked to Mum, the things he said out loud and the true things in his other voice sort of complimented each other, the true voice admitting he wished Mum liked opera, or laughing in delight at something funny Mum had said.

  
The only problem was that Arthur liked Douglas too, a lot. Douglas was brilliant, but when Herc was around his out loud voice was sort of snappy and his true voice was even quieter than usual - which was something, Douglas was really good at play-acting, making his true voice quiet or say the thing his mouth was - Arthur thought he'd have been an even better actor than... Pierce Brosnan or Idris Elba! When Herc was around Douglas' usual soft mumble of true things turned into a whisper, with only the occasional word coming out loudly enough for Arthur to hear and when they were audible they were so sad-sounding Arthur wanted to hug his friend. Sometimes Herc's true voice was sad too when he and Douglas teased each other, but not teasing like Douglas did with Martin where there was a friendly feel to it. Arthur was sad that two of his favourite people couldn't be friends.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just for information, indicates the unspoken dialogue Arthur hears, normal dialogue is set out in the usual way.

Mum and Herc were having one of their funny arguments again, the sort that made both of their true voices giggle happily and Mum was making a funny sort of gesture with her hand behind Herc's back that Arthur belated realised meant she wanted him to be somewhere else for a while in case she and Herc wanted to do some snogging. Snogging was brilliant, Arthur agreed, so he went out to entertain himself.

  
'Don't even know what she sees in him.' <Sexy bastard, he'll hurt her like...> Douglas' true voice went very quiet as soon as Arthur joined them in the portakabin.

  
'Are you jealous?' Martin asked, his true voice saying the exact same thing, but laced with the curiosity he daren't show in front of Douglas. 'Carolyn's....' He didn't finish what he was about to say, noticing Arthur at last.

  
'It's alright Douglas, they like each other really. Even if they don't seem to like saying it too much.' Arthur patted Douglas on the shoulder and dug in his pocket to produce an only very slightly fluff-covered lolly that he'd been saving in case anyone needed cheering up. Douglas looked like he needed it, so he held it out. 'Have a lolly, it's strawberry!'

  
'Um, kind though your offer is, Arthur, I have already exceeded my maximum dietary requirement for pocket lint today.' <Yuck! No way! Typical Arthur though, all heart....> The true voice was warm, even as it faded into mumbling and Arthur basked in it, wishing Douglas would let himself use that tone out loud more often.

  
Martin glanced at his watch. 'Sugar! I need to get back, an old dear with a wardrobe calls!' <Arthur can handle mournful Douglas better than I can anyway. I really need this job or I'd stick about to see what's bothering him...> Guilt and relief warred in Martin's true voice as he hurriedly scooped up his belongings and left.

  
Arthur flopped down onto the threadbare sofa next to Douglas and picked the fluff off his lolly before sucking on it thoughtfully. He stared up at the ceiling for a long moment, pretending he was Poirot and mustering all of his understanding people from Ipswich skills. Douglas' teddy always wore a blue uniform when Herc was around, just like Postman Pat Arthur had always thought, but looking at the outfit up close he could see the gold ringed sleeves and adorable tiny epaulettes. Oh. That might explain why Herc sometimes called Douglas 'Tiger' in his true voice, in that strange sad-resolved-warm way.

  
'I'm sorry Herc doesn't fancy you any more.' Arthur heard Douglas suck in a breath to start saying something, but he kept talking instead. 'I think he feels bad about something that happened and... I know he doesn't love you any more, but he does care about you in his own way. But then he couldn't care about you in anyone else's way could he or he wouldn't be Herc!'

  
'I think you've got the wrong end of the stick here, Arthur.' Douglas' out loud voice was very kind and calm. 'Just because we argue like he and your Mum do doesn't mean we have that sort of a history. <How did he guess? Bloody Hell, we've kept it so quiet he's the first in twenty years to even guess!>

  
Arthur was worried he was going to need to empty out his Flying Saucers all over the floor to use the paper bag on Douglas at how panicky Douglas' true voice sounded. Wait, Douglas' real voice? Douglas never let his real voice stay that loud for a whole sentence!  
'Douglas.' Arthur kept his voice calm, like the lady in Ipswich had said and looked steadily into Douglas' eyes. Douglas knew he wasn't the sort of person to tease him about that, Arthur willed his friend to remember that.

  
'Look Arthur, the very thought of Herc fancying me is ridiculous and I rather doubt that...' <I was a diversion, not a lover for crying out loud! Lord knows he certainly moved on fast enough when a woman batted her eyelids at him....>

  
The sensible out loud voice clashed so badly with the bitterness in Douglas' true voice that Arthur winced and decided to step back. He didn't want to make Douglas scared or angry or sad and he sounded a bit of all three at the moment. He decided to move back to general stuff, just like Douglas did when you thought he'd given up on a plan, but really he was sneaking up on it from a completely different direction. Arthur had seen the best at work, now he tried to imitate the master.

  
'You know, people are brilliant. You walk down Fitton High Street and you know that underneath what you see of the people walking about they've been hurt loads of times. Lots of the time it's little stuff like someone forgetting your birthday, or anniversary, or getting last at cricket or in the supermarket the old lady in front of you gets the last cream horn when you'd wanted one for your tea too!

  
'But all the grown ups are walking around with that and really sad stuff in this heads too - like their granddad or wife died, or they were in an accident and now their leg always hurts of their boyfriend split up with them, or their cousin has cancer and no matter how much they want to help it's terminal and they feel helpless.' That list made Arthur want to cry, but he pushed on.

  
'I look at the people in the shop and think about all that sad stuff they're carrying around in their heads, then watch them get on with their lives; doing stuff like putting money in the Red Cross charity box and have a laugh with their friends. It's brilliant, because they're so much stronger than the sadness and even the people who you see struggling, I like to help them carry their shopping, or give them a big smile because humans are brilliant and I know they'll be okay in the long run.'

  
Arthur beamed at Douglas, proud of himself for not accidentally saying anything about divorces or drinking, or any of the other things he knew Douglas got sad about sometimes and hoped Douglas hadn't noticed the slip.

  
Douglas looked at Arthur, turning his head to consider the younger man, the dear, exasperating boy that along with Martin were sure to turn his hair white. Arthur's moments of perspicacity tended to creep up on one and pounce unexpectedly. He was so much more than the cheerful fool who danced with the hoover, cooked food that seriously challenged the concept of a just world and thought everyone was universally brilliant.

  
Douglas had always known that, had also immediately known that Arthur was the only person compassionate enough to be trusted not to use that perspicacity as a weapon against him, but hiding was a long habit and it took effort to give anything away, even to him.

  
'You're right Arthur, human resilience is a marvel. It does a man good to be reminded of that fact.' <You're right, it's over and the only one still hurting is....> The true voice died away before Arthur could catch the whole thing.

  
'I told Herc that if he hurt Mum I'd be very cross.'

  
Douglas glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. 'I might conceivably have said something similar when he started making eyes at your mother, not that she needs us defending her.' <I told him I'd punch his lights out and dump him in Anchorage in the winter, sans clothes, but close enough...>

  
Arthur grinned at the rare instance of hearing the whole of Douglas' true thought and the fierce feeling of affectionate loyalty that came with it. He wished Douglas was his uncle, like he pretended Douglas was in his head. Arthur replied before the silence got too long.

  
'No, but it's nice to know that people care about you, isn't it?' Arthur wanted to nudge Douglas so that he knew Arthur was talking about him too, but he was being really, really subtle and sneaky, just like Douglas.

  
Douglas gave Arthur one of those rare smiles he did, the really bright ones that made Arthur feel like he was standing in a golden sunbeam, drinking a big mug of yummy hot chocolate.

  
'It is Arthur, it really is.'<You're right, you great big soppy labrador of a man.?


	3. Chapter 3

Herc looked at Arthur's round, nervous face and the way he shuffled his feet. 'Do we need a man to man talk?' <What's wrong? I've never seen him this subdued.>

  
Arthur nodded, they ended up taking Snoopadoop for a manly walk across the fields. Arthur held her lead at Herc's grumbling about her being a ridiculous beast. She pranced and circled at the end of her lead, happily trying to catch a butterfly. The fields were full of cabbages and they smelt funny, like the galley on Gertie that time Arthur had left a pot of surprising rice in there before Christmas and it had sat there for nearly two weeks.

  
'What was it you wanted to talk about, Arthur?' <It must be important, he looks so serious.>

  
'Why did you stop loving Douglas?'

  
Herc choked on thin air and spent several minutes coughing and spluttering, his mind reeling in shock at Arthur's question. 'How..?'

  
Arthur shook his head, giving Herc a look brimming with warmth. 'Nobody told me. Douglas said I had the wrong end of the stick when I asked him, but I like you and I'm glad you and Mum are... going to the opera together and stuff, but Douglas is my friend and I don't like it when he's sad.'

  
Herc grimaced, his mind turning back to a period of his life he was particularly not proud of and sighed. For once Arthur kept his mouth shut, looking from Snoopadoop back up to him.

  
'It was a different time, much more hostile to same sex relationships. Air England pilots were expected to be womanisers and we were both good at playing that game.' Herc realised he was dissembling and got a grip. 'I'm not proud of who I was back then and the fact it was a different time isn't any excuse.'

  
Arthur nodded at the out loud words and how his second voice chimed in critically. <We were a pair of berks alright, too arrogant not to take each other for granted.>

  
There was silence between them, the Ipswich people had told Arthur that keeping quiet encouraged people to fill the silence with the truth, sometimes even the truth they didn't like to admit to themselves. It worked. Herc pulled a weird face and started talking again, telling the cabbages, rather than Arthur about the fiasco that was his and Douglas' relationship.

  
'The lying and keeping things secret got too much. Both of us usually fancy women and back then it wasn't exactly unheard of for pilots who fancied blokes to find it very hard to find work. Remember, back then it was perfectly legal to discriminate against people for who they loved.

  
'The strain got too much. It's not like I felt bad about the fact Douglas isn't a woman, but when one's reputation is everything what we thought wasn't even the half of it. So we kept it a secret. Apart we could flirt on the phone, no one around us able to tell that the person on the other end o the line wasn't yet another pretty little stewardess... it was a thrill for a while, the secrecy, the covert nature of our love affair, but after a while the lies and secrecy took their toll.'

Herc turned away from the cabbages to look hard at Arthur, deciding how much more to say. It would be no more than he deserved for Arthur to hate him for this, but the thought of losing the boy's admiration stung.

  
'Please Herc, I'd like to hear the whole story. I want to help Douglas feel less sad.' You didn't have to be from Ipswich to tell that Douglas was still sad about Herc, even if he pretended not to be, even if he was good at pretending. Herc nodded, trying to swallow back the bitter taste that threatened to engulf his tongue.

  
'I started womanising with a vengeance, trying to channel everything in a way that would keep up my facade of the straight man, the perfect pilot living the bachelor life. Douglas... I don't know for certain, but he was taking a lot more risks with his smuggling antics and if the stress wasn't the cause of his drinking then it certainly did cause it to really take hold.'

  
Once more Herc paused and Arthur marvelled at how his inner and outer voices had spoken the same thing together, the secret voice far sadder than his carefully controlled out loud voice.

  
'Douglas really suffered when I met Mrs Shipwright the third. Our split wasn't amicable and we both used what we knew about the other to hurt each other.' <We cut each other to bloody shreds, I can't believe how badly we fought, destroying our friendship as well as our relationship. I'm sorry Dougray, I didn't mean to...> The inner voice cut off suddenly, so sad that Arthur felt his eyes get all wet.

  
Herc took another deep breath, then continued. 'After the split Douglas seemed to lose any sense of caution he'd had. The pranks and dares got more outrageous, he drank more and more an the margins he gave himself to sober up got tighter and tighter... He never flew drunk, my Dougray would never endanger a flight like that, but the smuggling got too hard to ignore and when Hong Kong customs found all those expensive kimono that he hadn't precisely declared... Air England took the chance to fire him before he really embarrassed them.'

  
<There were mumblings of criminal behaviour, but everyone knows that despite his belief that rules are for other people the worst of it was Sneaky Pete taking the chance to pin a few things on him before Internal Investigations caught up with him.>

  
'I see.' Arthur said, feeling tremendously sad for both of them. Douglas for how badly Herc had hurt him and Herc for how guilty he felt, even for the things that had happened to Douglas that weren't his fault, like Sneaky Pete.

  
'You know, when Martin started dating Michel I was a bit worried Douglas might tease Martin about it too hard and hurt his feelings, or even call him bad names, because he's older than me and Martin and sometimes people his age don't like gayness.' Arthur wasn't sure if saying this would help Herc feel better, but now he knew the truth, it made the facts even nicer, Arthur felt.

  
'But?' Herc had been vaguely aware the twitchy little ginger had fallen head over heels for a handsome Air France steward, a goofy grin cracking that ridiculous shell of pomposity the boy had constructed. He'd felt a stab of bitter anger that he and Dougray hadn't been able to enjoy the atmosphere of tolerant affection people appeared to feel about that sort of thing these days, but it hadn't lasted. The pair's utterly ridiculous goofy fondness for each other would make anyone smile and besides, it was nice seeing them so happy.

  
'He just asked Martin if Michel was good to him, then he did one of thse smiles he does, you know, where he's a bit sad underneath it all and then he made a bet on how long Martin could go before he had to admit that he was rubbish at French and had in fact been learning compliments off by heart courtesy of his First Officer.'

  
Herc was a little surprised that Douglas had resisted the urge to teach Martin rude limericks, just to see how Michel reacted. Could Douglas actually be maturing at last?

  
'So when was the last time Martin actually got a crack at the cheese tray?' Herc had to ask, a fond laugh bubbling up at the thought of his elver, witty ex running verbal rings around the hapless captain.

  
Arthur grinned at Herc, enjoying how the older man's expression had moved to fond amusement, the previous angst forgotten. He felt sad about how Douglas and Herc had made each other so sad, their love affair turning into something that had left them with pain even now, but he was touched that both of them had trusted him with it in their own different ways. Now he knew what the problem was he was going to do his best to make them feel better about it.

  
It was going to take some time, but neither of his friends was going anywhere and Arthur just knew he could help two of the most brilliant people he knew feel as happy as they deserved to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was a bit more angsty than I planned, but I enjoyed writing the different way Herc's conversation went.   
> Douglas has his facade, Herc I think controls what information people know about him and how he tells them. In both cases there's a need for control and a kind of dishonesty slash lack of confidence that people will like/engage with anything other than their public selves.

**Author's Note:**

> I have no idea where this concept came from, this fic started out as Herc/Douglas angst, but apparently Arthur wasn't having any of it and pushed in with his teddy-bears of the heart.


End file.
